DRINKING WATER
Empowering Smarter Decisions With Pipeline Data
Through case studies and technical insights, this paper demonstrates how utilities can use inspection tools, valve assessments, structural modeling, and predictive analytics to make informed decisions.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![Product Recovery Though Ozone Oxidation Of Waste Liquor_PIX]( "Product Recovery Through Ozone Oxidation Of Waste Liquor")
Product Recovery Through Ozone Oxidation Of Waste LiquorThe manufacturing of soda ash from Trona is a multi-step process that results in the production of a waste liquor that contains significant levels of organic contamination.
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Meters Monitor Flow And Provide Pump Protection
A Municipal Water Plant in the Southeast United States needed accurate flow measurement of potable water from individual pumps to the main distribution system. Read the full case study to learn how it was confirmed that the Siemens clamp-on meters provide reliable measurements from outside of the pipe, with reduced time and costs.
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THM Removal System Successfully Removes Over 65% Of THM Species In Water Storage Tank At The End Of 60 Mile Transmission Line
In Canada and the western United States, long treated water transmission lines are frequently utilized to convey potable water to rural communities. These long transmission lines combined with chlorine for water disinfection can often create the requisite conditions for the formation of undesirable disinfection-byproducts (DBPs). One of the most common DBPs is a family of volatile compounds called Trihalomethanes (THMs) which are regulated in Canada to a level of 100 ppb (part-per-billion) annual average and in the US to a level of 80 ppb.
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![EBCI]( "A Decade Of Smart Water Success — The Eastern Band Of The Cherokee Indians")
A Decade Of Smart Water Success — The Eastern Band Of The Cherokee IndiansWhat began as a mandate to reduce water loss has grown into a model of smart water management for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI). Since deploying Kamstrup’s ultrasonic meters in 2016, the utility has transitioned from crisis response to innovation leadership—proving that even the most rugged terrain can support advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).
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![Water splash-GettyImages-1449436913]( "EPA Researchers Partner With The Minnesota Department of Health To Screen For Chemicals Of Health Concern In Water")
EPA Researchers Partner With The Minnesota Department of Health To Screen For Chemicals Of Health Concern In WaterThere are many different chemicals that are released into our environment, and the ability to characterize human exposure and risk of every one of those chemicals is limited. Because information about these chemicals and their sources is limited, it’s difficult to know which chemicals are of highest concern, and regulatory agencies struggle to determine where they should focus efforts.
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![AMERICAN Pipe And Valves Ensure Georgia Project Flows With Ease]( "AMERICAN Pipe And Valves Ensure Georgia Project Flows With Ease")
AMERICAN Pipe And Valves Ensure Georgia Project Flows With EaseThe estimated $30-million West Side Loop 48-inch Replacement Project is one of three capital projects being conducted by the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority to provide additional water to western Cobb County and Paulding County in Georgia. For the project, a 48-year-old, 36-inch pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) that recently failed is being replaced with 48-inch ductile iron pipe.
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![rangeline]( "Put A 'Stop' To Water-Main-Repair Shutdowns And Boil-Water Notices")
Put A 'Stop' To Water-Main-Repair Shutdowns And Boil-Water NoticesFor most water or wastewater system operators, engineers, and repair crews, the only thing worse than facing a 24”-main emergency repair is facing an even larger one. To those who have never performed an emergency line stop and bypass, the idea of completing repairs with no service outage, no long-term shutdown, and no ‘boil water’ notice is almost beyond belief. To those who have, it’s a sigh of relief.
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![Pico-Rivera----WRD---IMS-2]( "Water Replenishment District Of Southern California Incorporate Direct-Coupling Of Toray UF To Toray RO For High Recovery and Energy Savings")
Water Replenishment District Of Southern California Incorporate Direct-Coupling Of Toray UF To Toray RO For High Recovery and Energy SavingsThrough the Water Independence Now program, WRD aims to provide 4 million residents in the Los Angeles region with an entirely local sustainable groundwater supply.
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![Kasco]( "The Top 5 Reasons To Consider An Active Water Tank Mixer")
The Top 5 Reasons To Consider An Active Water Tank MixerEnsuring clean drinking water is important to the overall health and safety of your community. Here are the top five reasons to consider an active water tank mixer.
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How To Conduct A Pilot Test For Iron & Manganese Removal From Groundwater Using Manganese Dioxide Filter Media
There are various treatment processes that are used to remove iron and manganese from ground water for potable water supplies. While there are various less common treatment methods used (such as ion exchange and ultra-filtration), most treatment systems for iron oxidize the ferrous state of iron to a ferric state so the solid particles can then be filtered out.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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The Basics: Keeping Our Water Clean Requires Monitoring4/30/2014
Keeping the water in our lakes, rivers, and streams clean requires monitoring of water quality at many points as it gradually makes its way from its source to our oceans. Over the years ever increasing environmental concerns and regulations have heightened the need for increased diligence and tighter restrictions on wastewater quality.
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Ultrasonic Level Measurement In Water And Wastewater Plants5/19/2016
Radar technology is often viewed as the “best” method of level measurement, but this isn’t necessarily true in the water industry.
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Application Note: Low-Flow Sampling Of Water Quality Parameters Used In Determining Groundwater Stability1/20/2010In April 1996, the U.S. EPA developed and published a document entitled Low-Flow (Minimal Drawdown) Ground-Water Sampling Procedures. The document states that “the most common ground water purging and sampling methodology is to purge wells using bailers or high speed pumps to remove 3 to 5 casing volumes followed by sample collection.” Adverse impacts can occur through this method affecting sample quality by increasing levels of turbidity. These problems can often be mitigated by using low-flow purging and sampling to reduce sampling-induced turbidity. By YSI
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VFD Energy Savings For Pumping Applications4/6/2017
In the early days of variable frequency drive (VFD) technology, the typical application was in process control for manufacturing synthetic fiber, steel bars, and aluminum foil.
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Application Note: Simultaneous Determination Of Total Bound Nitrogen (TNb) And Total Organic Carbon (TOC) In Aqueous Samples5/31/2011Total bound nitrogen (TNb) consists of dissolved ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, amines, and other organic nitrogen-containing compounds. TNb measurements represent an alternative to Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) analysis for rapid screening of industrial wastewater, drinking water,agricultural run-off, and surface waters. By OI Analytical
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Waterworks Joints 10110/30/2025
There are many different joints that can be found on waterworks pipeline components. This paper focuses on the three most common joints.
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Determination Of Pesticide Residues In Tea4/10/2015
In 2012, Americans consumed well over 79 billion servings of tea, which is just over 3.60 billion gallons.
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Waste Technologies Transform Problems To Profit9/8/2015
Anaerobic digestion processes that radically improve the quality of wastewater while delivering green energy extracted from biological waste streams are emerging as a profitable way for agricultural and food processing industries cope with the twin impact of drought and pollution challenges.
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Application Note: Continuous Monitoring Of Drinking Water Provides Assurance Of Safety9/28/2005A water utility in Ohio wanted to learn more about the variability of water quality parameters such as pH, ORP, turbidity, and chlorine. Previously, most of these parameters had been measured by spot sampling protocols with only a few measurements during a daily period. In order to more accurately assess the water variability, the utility used a YSI 6920DW Drinking Water Multiprobe
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Bringing Efficiency And New Confidence To BOD₅ Analysis2/4/2013
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) analysis is the test everyone loves to hate—and for compelling reasons.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
The Low-Waste Nitrate Removal System is a complete treatment system which utilizes specialized Rinse Reclaim and Active Blending Systems.
If not adequately removed from drinking water, manganese can cause taste, odor and color problems, staining of clothes and plumbing fixtures, and incrustation of water mains that can result in black water at the customer's tap.
Itron’s Temetra® unified platform eliminates data silos, enabling smooth integration of various data sources. Temetra's cloud-based system ensures minimal disruption, enhancing visibility into consumption and simplifying compliance reporting. Consolidate data, improve financial planning, and track key performance metrics, helping utilities demonstrate compliance, justify rate increases, and secure funding confidently.
CyanoFluor is a dual-channel handheld fluorometer designed for harmful algal bloom monitoring. By measuring chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin simultaneously, it differentiates cyanobacteria from other phytoplankton with precision. Portable, factory calibrated, and easy to use, CyanoFluor supports early detection, rapid assessment, and ongoing monitoring of blooms, protecting ecosystems, aquaculture, and drinking water supplies from the impacts of toxic algae.
The EchoShore-DXe Acoustic Leak Monitoring Sensor is a valve-based sensor that extends the leak monitoring capabilities of the Echologics EchoShore-DX system.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![Money down drain-GettyImages-171578755]( "Is This The End Of Affordable Water?")
Water pricing often fails to reflect scarcity, quality, or long-term risk, forcing companies to act internally. But this action is not being done in a vacuum. The ripple effect of internal water pricing is bound to impact water utilities, and ultimately, ratepayers and consumers.
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![PFAS Label on hundred dollar bill-GettyImages-2193126716]( "PFAS Settlements: Debunking The Myths And Revealing What's Really At Stake For Water Utilities")
Misinformation and confusion could prevent some utilities from benefitting from the aqueous film-forming foam multidistrict litigation (AFFF MDL) settlements. Here are five common myths about the AFFF MDL PFAS settlements and how public water systems can make the most of this unprecedented funding opportunity.
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![0421_Honduras_Barrio El Rosario-0030]( "Safe Sanitation For Students: 2025 World Toilet Day")
Every year on November 19, Water Mission observes World Toilet Day — a day designated by the United Nations to focus on the importance of safe sanitation for all.
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![energy flow, data transmission, technological connectivity-GettyImages-2240709017]( "2026 Water Utility Outlook: Regulation, AI, And Resilience In The Face Of Scarcity")
Global Water Outcomes expert notes that “water utilities are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities,” citing the role of digital solutions moving forward. -
![running faucet-GettyImages-175426122]( "HAAs In The EU: Monitoring For Haloacetic Acids Under The Drinking Water Directive")
In this Q&A, Dr. Elke Süss of Metrohm addresses the urgent need for haloacetic acid testing in response to “one of the most significant updates to EU drinking water monitoring in recent years.” -
![clean, safe water with AI-GettyImages-1314144773]( "Collaborating To Execute The AI-Water Nexus")
Amazon and Xylem partner to tackle Mexico’s leaking water systems as the country balances water scarcity and a growing tech sector.
ABOUT DRINKING WATER
In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:
- Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
- Drinking water treatment of source water
- Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers
Drinking Water Sources
Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater.
Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.
Drinking Water Treatment
Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.
There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.
The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.
The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.
During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.
Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.
Drinking Water Distribution
Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.
A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.
Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.